Strong's Lexicon qedem: East, ancient times, antiquity, front, before Original Word: קֶדֶם Word Origin: From the root verb קָדַם (qadam), meaning "to precede" or "to come before." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G395: ἀνατολή (anatolē) - often translated as "east" or "rising." - G744: ἀρχαῖος (archaios) - meaning "ancient" or "old." Usage: The Hebrew word "qedem" primarily denotes the concept of "east" or "eastern direction." It is also used to refer to ancient times or antiquity, indicating something that is from the past or of old. Additionally, "qedem" can imply "before" or "in front of," often in a spatial or temporal sense. Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the east held significant symbolic meaning. It was associated with the rising sun, new beginnings, and divine presence. The direction of east was often considered the front or foremost direction, influencing how people oriented themselves geographically and spiritually. The concept of antiquity or ancient times was also important in Hebrew culture, as it connected the people to their ancestral heritage and God's historical acts. Brown-Driver-Briggs קֶ֫דֶם noun [masculine] front, east, aforetime; — absolute׳ק Deuteronomy 33:27 +, קֶ֑קֶם Judges 8:10 +; construct קֶדֶם Proverbs 8:22; once plural construct קַדְמֵי Proverbs 8:23; — 1 location a. front, ׳מִקּ Isaiah 9:11 from the front (i.e. East), in front (opposed to מֵאָחוֺר), ׳אָחוֺר וָק Psalm 139:5 behind and before; אֶהֳלֹךְ ׳ק Job 23:8 I go forward (opposed to אָחוֺר) b. East: ׳הַרהַֿקּ Genesis 10:30 (J) mount of the East; ׳בְּנֵיקֿ = dwellers in the east, tribes east or northeast of Canaan Genesis 29:1 (E), Judges 6:3,33; Judges 7:12; Judges 8:10; 1 Kings 5:10; Isaiah 11:14; Jeremiah 49:28; Ezekiel 25:4,10; Job 1:3; ׳הַרְרֵי ק Numbers 23:7, see Di Sachau: Reise (1883), 159 ff.165 ff. Dr in Hast.PETHOS; ׳אֶרֶץ ק Genesis 25:6 (J); מָֽלְאוּ מִקֶּדֶם Isaiah 2:6 they are full from the east (insert probablyקֶסֶם, מִקְסָם, or < קֹסְמִים before ׳מִקּ, compare Lo De Du CheHpt Di-Kit); elsewhere ׳מִקּ =eastward: (I) in the east Genesis 2:8 (2) on the eastern (side) Genesis 12:8 (J) Zechariah 14:4; לְ ׳מִקּ on the east of Genesis 3:24 (J), Genesis 12:8 (J), Numbers 34:(P), Joshua 7:2 (JE), Judges 8:11; Ezekiel 11:23 = Jonah 4:5; -3eastward, with verb of motion Genesis 11:2; Genesis 13:11 (both J). 2 temporal, ancient time, aforetime: a. ׳הַרְרֵי ק Deuteronomy 33:15 ancient mountains, compare ׳אֱלֹהֵי ק Deuteronomy 33:27, ׳מַלְכֵיקֿ Isaiah 19:11, ׳בִּשְׁמֵי שְׁמֵיקֿ Psalm 68:34. b. ׳כִּימֵי ק Psalm 44:2 in ancient days; compare ׳מִימֵי ק from of old Isaiah 23:7; Micah 7:20; Lamentations 1:7; Lamentations 2:17; Isaiah 37:26 = ׳לְמִימֵי ק) 2 Kings 19:25 (see מִן 9b (2)); ׳כִּימֵי ק Isaiah 51:9; Jeremiah 46:26; ׳יַרְחֵי ק Job 29:2 months of old. c. ׳מִקּ from of old Micah 5:1; Isaiah 45:21; Isaiah 46:10; Habakkuk 1:12; Nehemiah 12:46; Psalm 77:12 ׳מִנִּיק 7; Psalm 8:2 springing out of, derived from, ancient times (compare Dr); ׳יָמִים מִקּ Psalm 77:6; Psalm 143:5 days from of old. d. ׳ק alone, as adverb anciently, of old Psalm 74:2; Psalm 119:152; ׳כְּק Jeremiah 30:20; Lamentations 5:21; ׳ישֵׁב ק Psalm 55:20 he that sitteth (enthroned from) of old. e. beginning, מִקַּדְמֵיאָֿ֑רֶץ Proverbs 8:23 from the beginnings of the earth; מִפְעָלָיו ׳ק Proverbs 8:22 the beginning of his works ("" רֵאשִׁית). [קֵ֫דֶם], with ה locative I. קֵ֫דְמָה adverb eastward, to, toward, the east; — Genesis 25:6 (J), Leviticus 1:16; Leviticus 16:14; Numbers 34:3,11,15; Joshua 19:12,13 (all P), 1 Kings 7:39 2Chronicles 4:10; 1 Kings 17:3 = 2 Kings 13:17; Ezekiel 8:16 (twice in verse); + north, south, west, Genesis 13:14; Genesis 28:14 (both J), Numbers 2:3; Numbers 3:28; Numbers 10:5 (north, west, in ᵐ5), Numbers 34:10 (all P); also as noun after מְּאַת = eastern side, Exodus 27:13; Exodus 38:13 (both P), + W Ezekiel 45:7 (strike out Co; read קֶדֶם Berthol Toy Krae), + north, south, west, Numbers 35:5; Joshua 18:20 so ׳גְּבוּל ק Joshua 15:5 (all P). Strong's Exhaustive Concordance aforetime, ancient time, before, east end, part, side eternal, everlasting, forward, Or qedmah {kayd'-maw}; from qadam; the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward) -- aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end, part, side, -ward), eternal, X ever(-lasting), forward, old, past. Compare qidmah. see HEBREW qadam see HEBREW qidmah Forms and Transliterations הַקֶּֽדֶם׃ הקדם׃ וָקֵ֖דְמָה וָקֵ֥דְמָה וָקֶ֣דֶם וּמִקֶּ֖דֶם ומקדם וקדם וקדמה כְּקֶ֔דֶם כְּקֶֽדֶם׃ כקדם כקדם׃ מִקֶּ֑דֶם מִקֶּ֔דֶם מִקֶּ֖דֶם מִקֶּ֗דֶם מִקֶּ֛דֶם מִקֶּ֜דֶם מִקֶּ֣דֶם מִקֶּ֥דֶם מִקֶּ֨דֶם מִקֶּדֶם֒ מִקַּדְמֵי־ מקדם מקדמי־ קֵ֑דְמָה קֵ֔דְמָה קֵ֖דְמָה קֵ֙דְמָה֙ קֵ֚דְמָה קֵ֣דְמָה קֵ֥דְמָה קֵֽדְמָה׃ קֶ֑דֶם קֶ֔דֶם קֶ֖דֶם קֶ֗דֶם קֶ֙דֶם֙ קֶ֜דֶם קֶ֣דֶם קֶ֤דֶם קֶּ֗דֶם קֶֽדֶם׃ קדם קדם׃ קדמה קדמה׃ hakKedem haq·qe·ḏem haqqeḏem kə·qe·ḏem Kedem Kedemah keKedem kəqeḏem mikkadmei mikKedem miq·qaḏ·mê- miq·qe·ḏem miqqaḏmê- miqqeḏem qê·ḏə·māh qe·ḏem qeḏem qêḏəmāh ū·miq·qe·ḏem umikKedem ūmiqqeḏem vaKedem vaKedemah wā·qê·ḏə·māh wā·qe·ḏem wāqeḏem wāqêḏəmāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 2:8 HEB: גַּן־ בְעֵ֖דֶן מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיָּ֣שֶׂם שָׁ֔ם NAS: toward the east, in Eden; KJV: a garden eastward in Eden; INT: A garden Eden the east placed and there Genesis 3:24 Genesis 10:30 Genesis 11:2 Genesis 12:8 Genesis 12:8 Genesis 13:11 Genesis 13:14 Genesis 25:6 Genesis 25:6 Genesis 28:14 Genesis 29:1 Exodus 27:13 Exodus 38:13 Leviticus 1:16 Leviticus 16:14 Numbers 2:3 Numbers 3:38 Numbers 10:5 Numbers 23:7 Numbers 34:3 Numbers 34:10 Numbers 34:11 Numbers 34:11 Numbers 34:15 87 Occurrences |